The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-07-22
HoRRIRLE ACCIDENT.


Der of People Injured By a Railway ColIf-
sion In Canada-ExpIOding Tank Cars
and Burning Oil Add To the Horrors of
the Calamity-RIany of the Victims
Inelnerated.
ST. THOMAS, July 16-One of the most
appalling disasters which ever happened
in Western Ontario occurred at fifteen
minutes after seven o'clock last
evening, at the crossing of the Michigan
Central and the London 6E Port Stanley
railway, resulting in ths loss Of nineteen
lives and the INJURY of over forty other
persons, three or four fatally. A special
east bound Michigan Centr al freight train
was pulling out of the yard as the regu-
lar excursion train from Port Stanley APP
preached with ten coaches literally pack
ed with residents of this city and
London. Engineer Harry Donnelly
was IN charge of the Port Stanley
train. AS he was crossing the bridge, he
noticed, as the fireman states, that the
Semaphore was closed against him. As he
approached Wellington street he applied
the air brakes, but they were useless and
refused to work. He then whistled 4or
brakes and reversed his en- gine, but as the
lever was what is known as 'screw
1ever,' some time was occupied in revers-
ing it. From Wellington street to the
crossing the train rarl with engine re-
versed, the violent whistling had
and that collision was unavoidable was
evident. The passengers commenced
emerging from car widows, and every
available means of egress was taken ad
vantage OF. The majority of the passen-
gers in the car next to the engine had got
out when the engine plunged into the
Michigan Central freight train Engineer
Donnelly could be seen in the cab with
his hand on the lever still endeavoring to
make the air brakes work.
AS if fate was linked to add addi-
tienal horror to already sufhcie ntly
appalling affair the section Of the freight
train into which the engine of the pas
senger train plowed, consisted of two
cars containing tanks filed with crude
oil and one car loaded with barrels of re-
fined oil. and almost before the passengers
heard the crash of the collision it was fol-
lowed by a tremendous explosion which
could be heard for miles. A pyramid of
red fire and black clouds of smoke
lowered up IN the air, and in moment
sheets of fire reached cut and enveloped
the cars, dwellings and warehouses in
the vicinity.
When the engine struck the oil tanks,
it tore the man hole from the top, and bu
a moment elapsed before the oil was in
blaze and the roaring Of the fumes could
be heard all over the city.
Then shot up a column of flames
through the black smoke and cinders that
was visible twenty-five miles away, &C
companled by a roar overpowering all
other sounds. The burning oil was scat
tered around in all rsctions, setting fire
to Grif1n's coal and salt warehouses, j.
L. CampbelPs dwelling and warehouse
and other structures in the vicinity, de-
strying all of these, involving loss of
about $4,000.
The eight-year-old son OF A. Cattlay
was a living mass of flames. He can not
recover.
Charles Chisholm Il. Utson, John Ster-
ling, Allie and Archie Norsworthv, Thos
Johnston, Thos. Doherty, T. McCallum,
Martha Lamery, Frank Queen, Charles
Dake. ]. A. Norman and scores of others
were painfully burned by the blazing oil,
many of them fatally.
Hon. A Francis was truck by a hose
reel and terribly injured. His recovery
is doubtful
The following bodies have been recog-
nized:
h. Donnelly, engineer of the excursion
train.
j. Smither, wife an,1 daughter.
Herman Ponsford, of the fire depart
ment, was literally encircled by a cloud
of flames, and wher. the smoke cleared
away it was seen that from head to foot
he was a living mass of flames. He was
flaming remnants of his vest and trousers
were torn from his blazing body, exhibit
ing the cooked flesh beneath. His in
juries are of a horrible nature and ne
can not recover.
Chief Walbourne was seriously burned
about the head and face.
John Mcclellan was burned badly about
face and hands.
W. Jeffers, face and hands.
Nelson GadsbV. ears and head.
P. Reath, badly burned on the face and
arms.
Ed Moore, burned on the face and
hands.
Engineer Joyce, Of the Grand Trunk
road, was a mass of flames. His clothing
was stripped from his body by willing
hands, and he was taken home in a cab.
A. Zealand and daughter.
Mrs. w. III. King, who, with her three
children, was in the car next to the en-
j gine, tells vivid story Of the wreck. This
was the only car wrecked, and it was con-
sequently in this car that the victims who
were incinerated were riding Mrs. King
states that the train ran unusually fast
from Port Stanley, a lady who was in the
car stating that the time occupied was
but fifteen minutes. At Wellington
street, Mrs. King noticed that the train
slackened speed Some what, butit was not
/ until the train was opposite Elizabeth
street JndB Sno suspected any
thing wrong. She was looking out
Of the window and observed the Michigan
Central freight train. For moment she
thought the train had been side-traczed
to allow the passenger train TO pass
through. but on looking out of the oppo-
site window she saw that her first i'm
preston was incorrect, and that a COLI
sion was about to take place About as
soon as she realized this fact the crash
came. The engine of the passenger train
parted the freight and the rear section of
the latter crashed INTO the passenger
train. The utmost confusion at once
arose, and the shrisks Of the women and
children were heartrending. A moment
later flames broke out Mr.. A. B. Remy
and Mr.. A. A. Dake at once rescued Mrs.
King and Mrs. Wegg and their children
through the windows, and others clam
bered through the remaining windows.
Alex Watson, t4rand Trunk Railway
brakeman, was blown up in the air by
the explosion, and has his color bone
broken.
A Chudley was, run over by a hose
reel and had his leg broken.